Driving-box wedge adjustment



s Sheets-Sheet 1' w. E. WOODARD ET AL DRIVING BOX WEDGE ADJUSTMENT Filed Oct 4, 1921 May 6, 1 924.

N 'WOR v A TTORNE Y3 Patented l6,

em star;

WILLIAM E. WOODARD, 0]? FOREST HILLS, AND FREDERICK W. MARTIN, OF BROOK- LYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO FRANKLIN RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, A COR- roaarron or DELAWARE.

DRIVING-3 0x WEDGE ADJUSTMENT.

Application filed October 4, 1921.' Serial No. 505,304.

To all whom it may conc'em:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. WOOD- ARD and FREDERICK W. MARTIN, both citizens of the United States, residing at Forest Hills, in the county of Queens and State of New York, and Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Box Wedge Adjustments, of which the fication.

Our invention relates to driving box wedge adjustment where automatic wear compensating wedges are used, as on locomotives. We aim to make the adjustment of the compensating devices or mechanism easy and convenient; to make the mecha-' nism simple, durable, rugged, and proof a ainst dangerous maladjustment; and to a 0rd plain, defin ite indications of when, on the one hand, the cumulation of wear is .so great as to require readjustment, and of when, on the other hand, the preferable re- .adjustment has been made.

How these and other advantages can secured through our invention will appear from our description hereinafterof the best embodiments of the invention known to us.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a steam a0, locomotive driving box with provision f0 adjustment according to our invention.

box proper and the compensating wedges are here shown in transverse section, while the adjusting mechanism proper, the pedestal jaws of the locomotive frame, and the pedestal binder are shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 shows an axial mid section through the adjusting mechanism, on a larger scale. than Fig. 1, taken as'indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 4:.

Fig. 3 shows an axial mid section at right angles to Fig. 2, taken as indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the adjustin mechanism.

Figs. 5, 6 and T are detached views of parts of the adjusting mechanism on a scale larger than that of Fig. -1 but smaller than that of Figs. 2*,3 and 4,-Fig. 5 being a perspective view of one part, and Figs. 6 and 7 being a side elevation and an inverted planwiew, respectively, of another part.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a somewhat different in Fig. 10; following is a speciindicated by the line 11-11 The locomotive frame 13 in Fig. 1 has.

the-usual pedestal jaws 14, 15 wherein is mounted for vertical play the driving box 16, with gibs 17, 18 on its pedestal faces. The frame 13 has also the usual pedestal binder 19. Between the driving box gib 18 and the ad'acen't pedestal jaw 15 (which has an incline face) are interposed two wedges 20, 21 which afford automatic compensation for wear of the driving box and the pedestaljaWs-,'-in a manner well understood in the art. The main wedge 20 is attached to one end'of a rod or bolt 22 that extends down through an opening in the pedestal binder 19. This wedge 20 is automatically and yieldingly pressed home bv mechanism of our invention, collectively indicated at 25. Not only does the mechanism 25 serve inthe automatic adjustment of the compensatingdevice 20, 21, but it isitself adjustable to assure proper. action of said device.

Referring, now to Figs. 1 to 7 generally, it willbe seen that the mechanism 25 by which the wedge 20 is actuated comprises a helical compression spring 26 acting through a cap-like nut 27 threaded on the bolt'22. As shown,..the upper end of the spring 26 is seated and engaged in an annular. groove or recess 28 in the'lower side of the cap nut 27, while the lower end of said spring is seated and engaged in the bottom of a hollow cup-like member 30, which thus serves as a support or abutment for the spring. Surrounding the bolt 22 within the spring 26 is an'auxiliary helical compression springv 31 (smaller and less powerful than the spring 26) which is seated and acts on the inner wall. of the groove 28 at its upper end and on the bottom of a shallow depression 33 in the bottom of the cup member 30 at its lower end. In order that rotation of the member 30 may produce relative rotation as between bolt 22 and nut 27 and thus alter the vertical position of the nut and the adjustment of the mecha- B i V 1,492,334:

nism 25, free-sliding anti-turning engage ment between the parts 30 and 27 isprovided for. Asshown, the cup 30 has diametrically opposite vertical slots 35 wherein are engaged corresponding lugs 36 on the cap 27 so that rotation of the cup one way or the other will turn the cap and thus screw it up or down on the bolt 22 and vary the compression or initial tension of the springs 26 and 31. 30 bears and is supported on the bottom of a U-shaped yoke 0r bracket 37 whose upper ends are secured to the lower side of the pedestal binder 19 by bolts 38, and the re-" duc ed lower portion 40 of said member 30 projects below the bracket and is squared at 41 to afford a convenient hold for "a' wrench.

Referring, now,-more especially to Figs.

1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, it will he observed that in the upper edge of the cup member 30. are

wide but shallow depressions 42, and that the top of the cap or nut member 27 is cut away or reduced at 43 a certain distance back from its edges- As shown, the proportions and relations of the parts are such that when the ca edges 43 are justflush with the depres'se cup edges 42, the springs are compressed to a proper maximum degree; while when the cap edges get to be flush with the tops of the u standing cup lugs 44 (between the cup epressions 42 and the cu slots 35), the springs will be so relaxed (t rough upward movement of the wedge 20 due to wear at the box 16) as to require readjustment of the mechanism 25 by tightening up of the nut 27. Thus the member'30 which serves for turning the nut 27 and affords abutment for the springs '26 and 31 alsocooperates with said nut to indicate quite plainly the state of adjustment of the mechanism 25 and of the wedge 20 at any time.

Referring, now, especially to Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7, it will be seen that on the bottom of the member 30 are four equallyspaced, low, radial, arc-sha d projections or protuberances 45, and t at in the bottom of the bracket support 37 are corresponding shah low, arc-shaped, radial depressions or recesses 46. By means of these projections 45 and depressions 46 at the abutting surfaces of the parts 30 and 37, the member 30 is held or locked against turning and thereby loosening the nut 27, in consequence of v1- bration; also, overtightening of the nut 27 so as to compress the springs solid and so cause binding or jamming of the wedge 20 is effectually prevented. This latter result follows from the fact that if the member 30 is turned down so as just to make the spring substantially solid, its projections 45 will rest onthe flat surface of the support 37 so close to the depressions 46 that a slight further turn will bring them intosaid depres- As shown, the member.

will have caused the nut 27 to unscrew till the pressure is relaxed and the projections 45 drop into the adjacent depressions 46 that they had last been turned past by the workman.

The mechanism 50 shown in Figs. 8 and 9 differs from the mechanism 25 of Figs. 1 to 7 in that the cup-member 51 projects much farther through the bracket support 52. As here shown, indeed, the support 52 is in effeet a merehorizontal bar with a slightly depressed middle portion and an opening therein a little larger than the body of the cup 51, which has an. external'flange 53 at its upper end that bears on the bracket 52 and supports the cup therefrom: The support 52 is strengthened with longitudinal ribs 55 on its lower side that merge in an annular rib or flange 56 about the cup opening. Here the projections 57 and depressions 58 that correspond to .45 and 46 in Figs..1 to 7 are on the cup flange and on the subjacent portion of the support 52 on which the flange abuts. The reduced lower end 59 of the cup 51 is hexagonal instead of square. In thls construction, when the lower edges ofthe lugs 36 on'thef-nut are vflush with the bottoms of the recesses v35,

full adjustment of thewedge is indicated; but when the lower edges of the lugs have moved up to a position in line with the bottom of the bracket 52 at the dim where reference character 56 is applie then the wedge needs readjustment. The construction shown in Figs. 10 and 11 difiers from that just described in that the cup 61 has no reduced lower portion,

but instead has a number of shallow longitudinal grooves 62 in its lower half that are adapted to receive projections on a spanner or other suitable tool,-so as to make it more difiicult for unauthorized persons to tamper with the adjustment. What we claim is:

1. Adjusting means for a. compensating wedgecomprisinga wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, and an actuating spring for the wedge acting through said nut, in combinationwith a rotary member for producing relative rotation of bolt and nut fording abutment for said spring.

2. Adjusting means for a compensating wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, and an, actuating spring for the wedge acting through said nut, 1n

combination with a rotary member for producing relative rotation of bolt and nut affording abutment for said spring, and

-. means for supporting said member, said f member and said supportin means having t mutually corresponding pro ections and depressions at their abutting surfaces.

3.'Adjusting means for a compensating wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, and an actuating spring for the wedge acting through said nut, in combination with a member for turning the nut cooperating therewith to indicate the I adjustment of the wedge.

4. Adjusting means for a compensating wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, and an actuating spring for the wedge acting through the nut, in combination with supporting means for said spring and a rotary member for producing relative rotation of bolt and nut projecting below said supporting means. I

'5. Adjusting means for a compensating Wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, and an actuating spring for the wedge acting through the nut, in combination with a bracket and a rotary member for turning the nut afiording abut-.

ment for said spring and projecting below j said bracket.

Y wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereo ,-and an actuating spring for the wedg "*acting through the nut, in-

combinationwitha bracket and a. rotary member forproducing relative rotation ofbolt and nut vto tighten the spring, and means for-preventing overtightening on said spring. L

n ad ustable wedge structure comprising, in combination, a wedge bolt, a

spring, a spring pocket having a shank projecting below the bracket and a nut on the bolt for adjusting the spring rotatable with the springcpocket.

usting means for a compensating wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjust- I ing nut thereon, an actuating spring for the wedge acting through sald nut, sup porting meansfor said spring, and a rotary member for producing relative rotation of bolt and nut affording abutment'for thie spring and cooperating with said supportting means to prevent overtightening on the spring.

10. Adjusting means for a compensating supporting bracket, a rotatable wedge comprislng a wedge bolt, an adjusting nut thereon, an actuating spring for the wedge acting through said nut, and supporting means for said spring in free-sliding, anti-turning engagement with said nut. I

11. Adjusting means for a compensating wedge comprising a wedge bolt, an adjust wedge acting through said nut, and sup port1ng,means for said spring cooperating with said nut to indicate the adjustment'of the wedge.

signed our names.

WILLIAM E. WOODABD. FREDERICK W. MARTIN.

ing nut thereon, an actuating spring, for the v In testimony whereof, we have hereunto 

